Blogging Success: Craft or Art?

[vangogh]

I found this post at ProBlogger Is Writing Great Content Enough to Build a Successful Blog? (http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/08/22/is-writing-great-content-enough-to-build-a-successful-blog/) which addresses a question we were debating in this thread about whether or not copywriting was a teachable or an inborn talent (http://www.small-business-forum.net/copywriting/105-talent-teachable.html). Since the post was specifically about blogging I thought I'd start a new thread.

The premise of the ProBlogger post is that most bloggers offer certain advice as to the "right" way to build your blog. While the advice is good and all the "right" tips are things you should do, there are also some more undefinable things that go into a successful blog.

Some of these are:

Mojo
Luck
Trust
Expertise and Authority
Charisma
So I'll ask the question from the other thread here in a slightly different way.

Can you become a successful blogger by learning and applying tips and advice, developing the craft of blogging or are certian innate talents like the ones mentioned above necessary to have a successful blog?

Is blogging success a craft or an art?

Do the read the post at ProBlogger. It does have some good tips as well as some interesting thoughts on what makes for a successful blog.

[KristineS]

I think it's a little of both.

I've seen blogs that I don't think are all that well done from a writing standpoint but they are still successful because they provide something that people want.

I also think the blogs that are more personality driven are successful because the people who created them can write in an amusing or touching way.

I don't think there's one road to blogging success or one formula for that success.

[vangogh]

I do too. I thought some of the things Darren described in the post were interesting as far as being ingredients for having a successful blog. Even the innate things can be under your control to a degree.

Mojo and charisma could be about finding your voice which comes with more writing, though some people never seem to find their voice making it possibly one of those things you either have or have the ability to get or just don't.

Expertise and Authority and Trust are both things you can come by in time.

Even luck is something you can control to a degree. You can't make luck happen, but you can increase the probability it will find you.

[theGypsy]

hmmm..... I guess one has to define 'success' first no? I mean, are you blogging for money or what?

For me it has always been about the passion and that's where it begins and ends. I don't even sell the AdSpace.... I promote other stuff and friends stuff... which brings in minimal income fer sure...

I just write as I simply can't seem to get enough of SEO/Internet marketing; which makes it easy. By the same token, there is no pressure to post. I took 2 months away last summer... and a few weeks here and there this summer.

So, am I successful? Dunno.... I've met a lot of great peeps that have defined my growth. To me that's the ultimate benefit to date. I suppose having a platform to rant from has also been a nice benefit... so yee haaa

So 'Passion' has got to be the top of my list for blogging attributes, as it is for anything in life... if there's no passion, ultimately one drifts....

[vangogh]

Oddly enough I was thinking about you when I was reading the parts of the post about mojo and charisma. I do think those are part of a bloggers voice and you have a distinctive voice. Your someone who's writing I would know even if your name wasn't listed as author.

The success part has to be defined by the blogger, but I think Darren was specifically talking about bloggers looking to make a buck. He may have even stated that at the beginning of the post, but I'm not remembering.

[theGypsy]

I am pretty happy I don't 'blog for money' to be honest. Having the ability to blog when I please is the way I like it. And my readership is not really the type that is easily monetized either as most are search professionals that don't need things like my eBook.

As for success, I decided to try and climb mount popularity last summer and after a concerted effort over the last year - it's mission accomplished. I have been named to top X lists, won a few awards (Rubber Chicken Award anyone? hehe)... and seemingly earned the respect of my peers. I've even had a mention on techcrunch and most of the top industry sites (Search Engine Land, Search Engine Journal and more)

I created a persona that I felt would work well (ranting passionate geek mixed with some humor) and the journey was very scripted as far as what I felt would work in the blogosphere.... Mojo and charisma? Ok, I guess that works ;0)

Tho I am not sure that one can really 'learn' charisma... learning how to write effectively and getting a feel for the hot buttons in one's industry is what I'd advise peeps as well as finding an angle that is lacking (for me the humor and ranting) in the current crop of bloggers in one's niche.

[vangogh]

I've started to play with ads on my blog, and did use AdSense way back in the beginning, but my blog isn't really a direct monetization channel. I do try to blog on a rhythm, but I learned long ago not to worry about keeping a tight schedule.

I'm jealous of your rubber chicken award. I need a rubber chicken for my new magic act.

Agreed about learning mojo and charisma sort of thing. I think you can learn to bring out more of your own charisma and I think we all have some, but you can't just learn charisma.

Knowing what you can do and finding a space within your industry is what I'd advise for most people. I think writing well and really learning your industry are important, but I see a lot of great blogs that are well written by people who clearly know their stuff who aren't reaching the subscriber levels they'd like. I also see quite a few people who don't write well with thousands of subscribers.

[Harold Mansfield]

Blogging for money is like sales, as a matter of fact, it is sales. You can learn the script, and memorize the product, but it still all comes down to presentation, and personality.

[vangogh]

Presentation and personality are definitely important. I'm not sure I'd call a blog post the same as a sales page though. I think a hard sell approach on a blog isn't really going to work. At least not for a long term sustainable blog.

[Harold Mansfield]

Presentation and personality are definitely important. I'm not sure I'd call a blog post the same as a sales page though. I think a hard sell approach on a blog isn't really going to work. At least not for a long term sustainable blog.
No , definitely not sales as in a "sale page", or any other kind of print medium, but more like in a personal presentation.

[vangogh]

Yeah, that makes sense. Assuming your blog is for business purposes you are selling something even if the idea is to do it indirectly.

[Aaron Hats]

For me, I just write about the latest hats to arrive or what's new and upcoming in the hat world. I don't try to make sure I have the right % of keywords. I just write and in the end I've been rewarded by the search engines. Most of the time my blog posts will show up on page one or two of Google within a couple days and because I can see where a customer came from when they place an order I know that plenty come from my blog. Maybe it all boils down to luck? Or am I just lucky? As long as it's working I don't care.

[vangogh]

Aaron in general I don't worry too much about keywords either. I do know what the post is about and just because SEO is part of me I do have a sense of what words I should use. Never worry about keyword density or the % of keywords you use. Just know what you're writing about and write naturally.